


Post-War

by Maeoreth



Series: Rose Zahrah - Earth 2 [2]
Category: Justice League - All Media Types, Justice League: War
Genre: Canon Compliant, Canon Related, DCAU, Drinking, Drinking & Talking, Exposition, F/M, Justice League: War - Freeform, Music, Party, Superheroes, dcu - Freeform, justice league - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-05-03
Updated: 2016-07-21
Packaged: 2018-06-06 03:00:47
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 3,670
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6735199
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Maeoreth/pseuds/Maeoreth
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After the war with Darkseid, Barry suggest the newly-formed Justice League get drinks. Shazam splits, and Batman refutes that, pointing out that being famous has it's downsides. Instead, he offers the Manor for a party that evening. Hilarity and exposition ensues. Dick and Korri may or may not eventually show up.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

The arguably longest event of Rose’s life takes an eternity and a half. The post-address press conference. Thank  _ god _ Superman was gracious enough to answer most of the questions, with Wonder Woman providing some filler details here and there. Rose kept her hood up most of the time, refusing to answer any questions, so when a rare one was directed at her, Barry usually took it. People started to think she was mute, but when the question was finally asked, Barry informed them that she was a ‘woman of few words’. People took it well, deciding she must be ‘incredibly wise’. She tells Barry quietly not to tell anyone how old she  _ really _ is.

When the conference is over, the group is given a small side room from which to discreetly depart.

“So, Tats,” Hal starts in with, and Rose looks up at him, “why so quiet? The  _ real _ answer this time, not the bullshit Bar fed the press.”

“Does it matter?” Is all she answers with.

“Don’t answer my questions with questions!”

“Ignore him,” Barry cuts in, “Hal doesn’t trust anyone who doesn’t explicitly loves publicity.”

“I see,” Rose replies curtly.

“That’s not true! I just don’t get why not.”

“Because,” Barry starts to answer again, a hint of irritation to his tone, the first time he’d shown any sign of frustration or anger around the rest of the League, “she  _ can’t _ . Rose’s secret identity isn’t exactly  _ well liked _ , unlike our local  _ playboy billionaires _ ,  _ flyboys,  _ and  _ princesses. _ She’s had a harder life than I’d ever expect  _ you _ to understand, Hal. She has enemies you can’t  _ imagine _ , people who will hunt her to the ends of the Earth. She has to stay quiet to protect idiots like  _ you, _ and people like his butler,” he indicates to Bruce, “or his Dad,” this time he jabs his thumb in Victor’s direction, “or any of our loved ones. They could all be killed if Rose isn’t careful. If that means she has to make some  _ personal sacrifices- _ ” Rose places a hand on Barry’s chest to still him, having appeared suddenly and quietly by his side. He stops instantly, and then takes a deep breath. 

“Enemies?” Superman asks cautiously after a pause.

“Little more than shadows and whispers in the dark.” Is Rose’s cryptic answer. She searches for Barry’s eyes, and a beat later, he makes contact. “Perhaps we should go,” she says, heavy handed.

He shakes his head, “No, I’m fine now. Sorry, Hal, I didn’t mean to-”

“No, man, I didn’t know.” Hal answers quickly, shaking his head. “I-... I’m sorry, Rose.”

Rose inclines her head toward him once, and she lowers her hand from Barry’s chest. “Is there anything further we should discuss while we’re all here together?”

“I’ve ensured each of you have a means of contacting the others should we ever need help,” Bruce says, returning the conversation to a more serious tone. “Rose, I need to see you in Gotham. We have unfinished business.”

“Oh yeah!” Hal jumps in again, “What was all that? That weird word you called Spooky earlier? Senssy?”

Rose rolls her eyes, “Sen _ sei _ . It means-”

“It’s meaning is irrelevant now,” Bats cuts in. “Otherwise, there’s nothing else I have for the team.”

“I have an idea,” Barry says just before everyone starts to turn away to go home. Rose quietly rolls her eyes. “We just saved the world. We should celebrate,” he shoots Rose a grin.

“No,” is her immediate response.

“I can’t,” Shazam says, “I’ve got, uh, stuff. But I’ll catch you guys next time!” With a crackle of lightning, he’s out the window and gone. People cheer in the distance as he flies overhead.

“I’m free,” GL answers after a few seconds. “What have you got in mind, Bar?”

“There’s this cool new bar in downtown Central City-”

“No,” Bruce this time responds, “The downside of being a billionaire - people spot you wherever you go.” He shoots Rose a look, “Zahrah, come with me. The rest of you, meet us at Wayne Manor at seven tonight.”

Rose moves to follow Bruce, but Barry catches her wrist once no one’s looking. “See you tonight?” He asks in a soft voice.

She raises an eyebrow, “Of course you will.”

He nods after a pause, then zips out in a blur of motion. 


	2. Chapter 2

Rose stands in front of a mirror, gazing into her reflection. She’s rather relaxed, so her tattoos have resumed their normal position. Sensei loaned her a nice dress to wear, and one that actually happened to be in her size. It’s black, has white lace, and reveals without being immodest. She could already hear Hal drooling. She’s so busy investigating her appearance, she barely notices the two hands that lay gently on her shoulders.

“  أنت جميلة.”, Sensei comments, smiling at her in the mirror. ( _ You look beautiful. _ )

“شكرا,” Rose murmurs. ( _ Thank you _ .)

Just then, there’s a knock at the door. The butler, whose name Rose has inconveniently forgotten, informs them that their company has arrived and is waiting in the foyer. Sensei thanks him, and when the butler leaves, he turns back to look at her in the mirror.

“When was the last time you saw your reflection?”

“This morning, but it’s still not something I’m used to.”

He nodded, then looped her arm through his, and led her downstairs to the foyer. Everyone’s there, except Barry. Rose doesn’t catch herself gripping Sensei’s arm a little tighter when she realizes the absence, but she feels his hand lay over hers. Her vice grip loosens, and there’s a blur that zips in at that moment.

“Sorry I’m late!”

“How are you both the fastest man alive and the slowest?” Supes teased, grinning ear to ear. WW chuckles.

Barry just shakes his head, letting his eyes wander as everyone greets each other, before they land on Rose, who Hal has also just noticed. Both swallow thickly. Her tattoos have been pulled back to reveal her uncovered skin, allowing her features to be showcased. Barry has always thought she was beautiful, but now more so than ever. The dress hugs her in all the right places, she looks healthy and calm, and oh god he’s staring. He breaks away, glancing to his right to see Hal quickly approaching. His throat goes completely dry as Bruce steps away to speak to Superman, leaving Rose alone with the flirt. He tries to pretend to be disinterested, but he can’t help but listen.

“What’s a girl like you doin’ in a place like this?” Hal asks teasingly, grinning.

“I was invited, Jordan, as were you.” She answers in a deadpan. She never could understand when someone in a normal situation was flirting with her.

Hal only chuckles, “Can I just say, Tats, that you look absolutely stunning?”

“You just did, Jordan.”

“Call me Hal.”

“Very well.”

“You really  _ are _ a woman of few words, aren’t you?”

“I am. I prefer conversations be short and to the point. If you’re attempting to flatter or flirt with me by complimenting my appearance, you should know that I consider such things to be another form of manipulation. If you want something from me, simply ask. Don’t beat around the bush with empty compliments and vain words.” It was the most Barry had ever heard her say to someone that she wasn’t close to. It obviously took Hal by surprise as much as it did him, because there’s a short pause.

“Dinner, tomorrow night. Seven. I know this great place. Interested?”

“As friends or more?”

“A date.”

He glanced over in time to see her shrug, “I suppose.”

Barry felt his stomach drop out, and Victor noticed. “Hey, man, you look like you just got punched in the gut.”

The speedster tries to smile, “It certainly feels like it.”

The cyborg looks concerned, “Anything I can help with?”

Barry shakes his head, “Unless you can use those Boom Tubes to travel back in time, I don’t think so.” He hears Rose chuckle, and glancing over his shoulder, he sees it’s at something that Hal said.

Victor follows his gaze, and then cringes. “Oh man, I’m sorry, bro. He just stole your girl, didn’t he?”

Barry shakes his head again, “No, she was never mine. But… I think I’ve always been hers.” He swallows past the lump in his throat, “If that’s who she wants, hey, y’know, I… I want her to be happy.”

His new friend can’t help a laugh, “Aw, man, you got it bad.”

At that moment, Bruce, Diana and Clark step back into the foyer from their small meeting, and Bruce calls them into a small library. Well, small for a library, anyway. The room is three stories tall, and thirty feet by thirty feet. Instead of stairs, there are ladders that connect the floors. Victor goes and sits on a couch, resting his large, bionic self. He turns back to look at Barry and wave him over.

“Look man, I know it’s not really any of my business, but I think you should tell Hal to step off and stay in his lane. That’s your girl!”

“Who’s his girl?” Asks none other than the ultimate Feminist Icon, Diana Prince, as she takes a seat on the opposite side of the same sofa. Barry sits in between the two.

“Rose,” Victor answers, smirking.

Diana looks a mixture of surprised and impressed, “Congratulations.”

“She’s  _ not _ my girl,” Barry replies, and Diana looks confused.

“But I thought-”

“You heard him right, but he’s making more out of it than it is.”

Victor lightly shoves Barry, then leans over to tell Diana, “He’s in mad love with Ink, but hasn’t said anything, and GL just asked her out.”

“GL asked who out?” Clark asks as he comes around and sits in front of Diana on the floor, who gently touches his hair, causing him to give her a soft smile.

“Ink,” Diana tells him, causing the Man of Steel to look confused.

“Wait, but I thought she and Barry-”Victor shakes his head. Clark looks up at Barry with a sad expression, “Oh, man, I’m sorry.”

Barry shakes his head this time, “I’m not. I want her to be happy. If Hal’s who she wants, she can have him.”

“If you think for even one instant,” all four of them jump slightly, and then look up behind the sofa to see Bruce standing there, “That Hal Jordan is the kind of man Rose Zahrah is looking for, or is even remotely interested in, you don’t know her as well as you boast, Barry Allen.” All five hear a soft laugh come from the corner, and they not-so-discreetly look up to see Hal goofing off, much to Rose’s amusement. “Hal may represent a Lantern, but he’s not bright enough to know when he’s being made fun of. Rose sees herself as utterly undesirable because of her past; any one of us could ask her on a date and she’d accept.”

“That’s not true,” Barry answers, the same anger from earlier that day back in his voice, “She’s not undesirable. She’s amazing and beautiful and smart. It’s her past that makes her so extraordinary; hell, she’s stronger than any of us. She could’ve taken down Darkseid all by herself if she’d really wanted to.” He glances up just in time to see a concerned expression filter onto Rose’s face, this directed at him, and he manages to smile, hoping it’ll ease her. It doesn’t. She excuses herself from Hal, and quietly walks over to the sofa.

“Barry, may we speak for a moment?”

“Uh, yeah.” He suddenly zips to her side in a blur of motion, “Yeah, sure.” She eyes him, and then bows to their new friends, before leading him out.

Bruce turns to the group, “Not a word of this to Hal, Barry, or Rose.” The three nod understanding. Hal comes over and joins them, and the five chat amicably, sharing drinks and war stories as they wait.


	3. Chapter 3

Since Rose has been visiting the Manor all day, she’s already grown rather familiar with the layout. She leads Barry out through the back of the house and into the gardens outside where she knows they’ll be away from everyone else. She finds a small bench that she and Bruce sat on earlier that day while they discussed their past, and sits there again. Looking up at her friend, who seems nervous and upset all at once, she takes in a deep breath.

“Why are you upset?”

His shoulders instantly sag, “I don’t know.”

“I don’t think you’re being completely honest with me, Barry.” He swallows thickly, and glances at the seat next to her. She moves to give him more room, and he sits. His expression is forlorn, and she struggles to find meaning in it. “Is this because I spent the day with Sensei instead of with you?” It was the only conclusion she could reach.

He seemed to bite, and nodded. “I’m sorry, Rose.”

“Don’t be,” she gently reprimanded, “It’s our tradition to go do something fun after a hard battle, and I completely forsook that tradition. I apologize, I should have at least explained why I was leaving.”

His eyes had wandered up to hers while she spoke, “Will you tell me now?”

A small smile played on her lips and she nodded, “Remember I told you about how when I was growing up, I had a sensei who I truly felt loved me like a daughter? Who was always kind and generous toward me, and let me speak my mind?” Barry nodded, “Bruce Wayne _is_ that sensei.” His eyes widened, “I’d been led to believe he’d died. Hence my surprise when I saw him during the Darkseid event.”

Barry’s jaw slacks, and after a few minutes of staring at her, he shakes his head, “Oh my god! That’s wonderful, Rose.”

She smiles, “I’m glad you think so, Barry.” Her smile falters, “I hope this means you’ll understand when I leave to come visit on occasion…?”

He shakes his head, his face looking ready to break from the weight of his grin, “Are you kidding me? Rose, this is fantastic! Visit as much as you want, you won’t hear one complaint from me.”

Now sharing his enthusiasm, Rose uncharacteristically throws her arms around Barry’s shoulders, “Thank you, النصف الآخر.” ( _soulmate)_

Barry feels his stomach flip and his throat constrict, but he still wraps his arms around her waist, pulling her in close, “No problem. You’re the best friend a guy could have.”

Rose lets the hug last a little longer than she’s really comfortable with, but she knows how much he likes hugs, so for his sake, she lets it go on. When it becomes overbearing, she finally pulls away, and reaches up to fix a few strands of hair that had fallen out of place. “Barry, you mean more to me than any other. You’re my النصف الآخر, if there’s something you need to tell me, just say so. You know you can tell me anything, yes?” ( _soulmate)_

Time freezes for just a few seconds. Barry stares into her eyes, wishing he could lean forward and just kiss her now. “I tell you everything already, Rose. Except how much I really care.” Time resumes. He chuckles at her light mothering, “Yeah, Rose. I know.”

She dusts off his shoulders and straightens her dress, then looks back up at him. “Then let's return to the festivities.”


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Based on the math that Bruce became Batman in his late 20's-early 30’s, having spent ten+ years training from the time he was 16 and on. Dick became Robin at 16 and left at 21(5 yrs), Jason became Robin at 14 and died at 15(1yr), Tim became Robin at 14 and Red Robin at 17 (3yrs), so anywhere between 9-12 yrs since Bruce became Batman. Rose is 25 here, so she was 12 when Bruce left to become Batman.

When they return, Green Lantern has just finished recounting a story, and waves the two of them over.

“C’mon, sit,” he grabs Rose’s hand and pulls her into the seat next to him, putting her between him and Barry, “grab a drink.”

“Rose and I don’t drink, Hal.”

A look of bewilderment crosses the Lantern’s face, and Diana interjects before he can speak, “Come, you are as much warriors as any of us! Drink!”

At Diana’s insistence, Rose took the cup and held it in her hands as Barry explains why he doesn’t drink, “My metabolism is through the roof now because of my speed. I process food and liquid at the same rate that I run.”

Superman whistles, “Wow, you really  _ can’t _ drink.”

Victor, who’s up and playing with a stereo, finally gets it to kick on. He grins, stepping back, as it comes to life. It plays gentle classical music, but it still makes the team smile. Bruce steps around to Rose, extending a hand.

“May I have this dance?”

She smiles and accepts his hand in silence, letting him lead her to the open area behind the sofas, waltzing like pros. Diana can hardly stands it, and pops up, asking Clark to dance with her as well. The two quickly follow, though their waltzing isn’t as nearly refined as Rose and Bruce’s. There’s also a lot more sexual interest in their dance than Rose and Bruce’s, making Barry chuckle.

Hal leans over and taps Barry’s shoulder, whispering to him, “What’s Tats and Spooky’s story, anyway?”

Barry leans back a little to answer him, “Bruce taught Rose combat when she was a kid. He’s like her father.”

“Oh,” is Hal’s only initial response, “Good.” He leans away from Barry, whose stomach feels tight. 

The rest of the night passes in much of the same fashion. By the end of it, Barry’s ready to punch every wall in the house in a matter of seconds. He manages to suppress his irritation so it doesn’t flow over into Rose’s side of their psychic link. Rose ends up drinking the glass she’d been handed.. And another… and another four or five, all at Diana’s insistence. Then the questions start rolling in.

“Sooo,” Hal asks in a drunken slur next to her, “How’d you an’ Spooky over there,” he points in Batman’s general direction, “meet?”

Rose simply takes another sip of her glass. Victor takes the silence as an opportunity to ask another question, “I spent this afternoon looking up all the members of the League. Everyone checks out, except you, Rose. You didn’t even exist in public record until four years ago.”

The woman in question glances up at Bruce over the top of her cup, and the man simply shrugs. “It’s your story.”

She pulls the glass away from her lips, glancing inside at the contents, “You are just as much a part of it as anyone else.”

“Then consider this permission.”

The glass is set on the table, everyone (except Barry) looking bewildered at the exchange. Rose sets her shoulders straight, and looks over at Victor, “My family has been part of a secret cult for generations. This cult believes itself to be the vanguard of human morality; doing everything from killing corrupt officials to burning down major cities to keep humanity safe from it’s own depravity.” She pauses to allow that to sink in before continuing, “My family provided both financial support and troops in exchange for protection from the massacre that would eventually strike whatever city they were living in. Every generation, the first born child would be sent to be wholly and completely committed to the cause, at an age too young to remember their prior life. I was three years old.”

“Holy  _ shit _ that sucks,” Hal mumbles next to her, making her chuckle.

“I wouldn’t know, Lantern, for it’s the only life I’ve ever known. When I was eight, I proved myself to be the better among my peers, faster, smarter, stronger. I tied with another boy, and they had us duel for the top position, a duel which I won.”

“How did you win?” Superman asks, seeming to be both enthralled and horrified by her story.

Her eyes raise to his, “When the order came, and he had me pinned, he hesitated. I didn’t.” She takes another sip from her glass before continuing her story, “After the duel, I was moved into the upper classmen chambers. I was also given to the best mentor, to further my training. Which they hated me for, of course, because of my advanced training and being the youngest by far.”

Diana can’t help but ask, “Who was your mentor?”

Rose smiles, “Spooky.”

Everyone’s eyes widen, darting to Bruce, who answers the question before it’s asked, “I was there because I was looking for training. I’d learned man-hunting under Frenchman Henri Ducard, stealth and reconnaissance under Kirigi, hunting under the African Bushman, hand-to hand combat under the tutelage of Ted Grant and David Cain, traditional healing disciplines under Nepalese monks and even ventriloquism under skilled practitioners. At age 20, I attempted to join the FBI, but after learning about its regulations and conduct, I deducted that I would never be able to completely oppose crime while working within the legal system. I started following up leads, looking for anywhere else I could go, someone who could show me what it meant to be a symbol instead of a man. An idea. I ended up in Bhutan, where I met Ra’s al Ghul and the League of Shadows. I was there for five years; the first I spent proving myself, and the last four being al Ghul’s enforcer and training Rose. After, I left to become Batman.”

Rose doesn’t give any time for anyone to ask questions, she immediately jumps in to finish the story. “Some years after he left, I was sent to Central City; told that there was a man who sought to end our understanding of the world as we knew it. My task was to kill him. Between the time I departed to eliminate this threat, and arrived to do the deed, he’d had a breakthrough in his research. When I reached his laboratory, he had already activated the machine he’d been building. Half the city, he, and I were all struck with a blast of dark matter. When we awoke, we were… changed.”

“You’re talking about the Particle Accelerator accident,” Clark interjects, eyes wide.

Barry nods, “Yeah, my bad.”

Rose chuckles, “He became The Flash, I became Ink.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So that's the exposition side. I had this whole hilarious thing that was going to go on in this story, but it's been so long and I forgot to write it down, so I don't remember most of it. I'm going to press on to the next movie ("Son of Batman"), shelving this temporarily until I remember the rest.  
> Also, I'm taking a little bit of liberty with Bat's batstory (haha, get it? Not 'backstory' but 'batstory'? Nvm). This is the original story for how he met Talia:
> 
> "Struggling against the League of Assassins, Batman meets the beautiful Talia al Ghul when he rescues her from Doctor Darrk. Ra's al Ghul determines his secret identity through logical deduction and confronts him when Talia has been kidnapped again alongside Robin. Realizing that Ra's was behind this as a personal test, Batman confronted him and fought his bodyguard Ubu. Ra's explains that he was making sure he had found a worthy successor in the detective, as Talia has fallen in love with him. Batman eventually comes to the conclusion that Ra's is a dangerous criminal who must be stopped at all costs, and declares war on him."
> 
> I'm just blending that story with the Batman Begins story.


End file.
